Comey Hopes That President Trump Releases Recordings Of Their Convos

Former FBI Director James Comey called for the release of any recordings of conversations he had with President Trump in the White House, as well as memos he wrote detailing the private talks at the time.

Comey made his first public remarks since his abrupt May 9 firing during high-profile testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday. He was eager to disclose details of his conversations with the president, which he characterized as awkward and inappropriate, given the FBI’s investigation into possible coordination between Mr. Trump’s campaign and Russia.

Comey told the committee he kept contemporaneous notes immediately following nine private conversations with Mr. Trump. He said he turned those memos over to former FBI Director Robert Mueller, the special counsel appointed to oversee the Russia investigation.

On May 12, just days after his firing, Mr. Trump tweeted that Comey “better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!”

Former FBI Director James Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee, “Lordy I hope there’s tapes” of a one-on-one conversation with President …

“I’ve seen the tweet about tapes. Lordy, I hope there are tapes,” Comey said Thursday when discussing a February 14 meeting at the White House. During that meeting, Comey said Mr. Trump told him he hoped Comey would drop the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Later in the hearing, Comey returned to the subject of possible recordings. In an exchange with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Comey was asked whether he believed a recording system existed in the White House.

“It never occurred to me before the president’s tweet,” he said. “I’m not being facetious. I hope there are, and I’ll consent to the release of them … All I can do is hope. The president knows if he taped me, and if he did, my feelings aren’t hurt. Release all the tapes. I’m good with it.”